Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Everything seemed to point to another barnburner in the annual Battle for the Boot.

The 2019 meeting, a 36-32 West High win, was the tightest game in the series since 2015.

City High and West High both posted impressive wins in week one setting up the first Boot meeting between two unbeaten teams since 2011.

The stage seemed set for another stellar contest in one of the best high school rivalries in the state.

Instead it turned into a Boot blowout.

West High returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, scored 14 points in the opening five minutes and never took its foot off the gas in a 56-20 win at Trojan Field.

“We didn’t see that coming,” City High coach Dan Sabers said. “I thought we were further along but boy they took it to us, everybody could see that.”

The impressive win was the fourth straight for West High in the series, the longest winning streak in program history for the Trojans in the series.

West High won three straight over City High from 1997 to 1999 but had never won the Boot four times in a row.

“That’s huge, that was our big thing coming into this game we wanted to make history,” West High senior receiver Grahm Goering said. “We wanted to do it for more than just our team but for all the teams before us.”

West High was nearly flawless from start to finish, especially on offense where the Trojans racked up 409 total yards while averaging 11.7 yards per play.

Senior quarterback Marcus Morgan was responsible for 269 of those yards and five touchdowns, passing for 229 yards and four scores and rushing for 40 yards and another touchdown.

The 56 points by West High were the most ever for a team in the Battle for the Boot and marked the third time during its four-year winning streak the Trojans have scored 50 or more points in the Boot game.

“It has to be up there, especially numbers wise,” Morgan said when asked if it was the best offensive game he’d been a part of. “It was definitely the most fun lots of guys were making plays on defense and offense so it was just a lot of fun all around.”

Morgan was nearly perfect himself, completing 13-of-14 passes and throwing scoring strikes of 56, 22, 6 and 33 yards.

Goering caught five passes for 86 yards and had touchdown grabs of 22, 6 and 33 yards.

“I don’t know what the numbers are but what I noticed is the completion percentage,” West High coach Garrett Hartwig said. “When the completion percentage is high for quarterbacks in high school you have a good chance to win.”

Nearly as impressive as the West High offensive explosion was the performance by the West High defense.

The Trojans slowed a City High offense that had noticeable size advantage up front, holding the Little Hawks to seven first-half points.

In a season-opening win over Davenport Central City High put up 411 yards, 299 on the ground and averaged 6.9 yards per play.

West High held the Little Hawks to 283 yards, 162 on the ground and 4.8 yards per snap.

“Our offensive line and our defensive line will be overlooked all year and that’s fine,” Hartwig said. “They are tough kids, they aren’t the biggest but they work hard, they are strong and they tough.”

Liberty High Wins A Wild One: Two weeks into the season Liberty High owns one of the wildest statistical notes in the state.

After two games Liberty High has more wins (1) than it does completions.

Liberty High (1-1) earned its first win as a Class 4A program on Thursday with a 7-3 victory over Cedar Rapids Jefferson despite not completing a pass for the second straight game.

The Lighting didn’t attempt a pass in a season-opening loss to West High and went 0-6 through the air against the J-Hawks.

However, Liberty High ran for 163, including 109 from quarterback James McKinney, and forced four turnovers in the win over Jefferson.

Happy Road Trip For Regina: Week two featured another late COVID-19 forced schedule change for Regina.

This time it came with a 175-mile road trip.

A week after adding replacing Dyersville Beckman with Class 4A Pleasant Valley on its schedule Regina was left searching for a week two opponent after Mid-Prairie was forced to cancel due to COVID-19 issues.

Regina added Class 2A third-ranked Clear Lake and made it an enjoyable road trip holding on for a 21-20 win over the Lions.

Offensive performer of the week: West High senior quarterback Marcus Morgan was nearly perfect in his final performance in the Battle for the Boot.

Morgan completed 13-of-14 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for 40 yards and a score in a 56-20 win over City High.

Best of the rest: Regina senior running back Theo Kolie ran for 103 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and also had three tackles and a sack in a 21-20 win over Clear Lake.

Solon senior receiver Colton Hoffman caught four passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-18 loss to Washington.

West High senior receiver Damarion Williams caught five passes for 119 yards and a touchdown and also returned an interception 40 yards for a score in a 56-20 win over City High.

Defensive performer of the week: Alec Wick has gained notoriety as a prestigious pass catcher on offense but the Regina senior is prone to make big plays on defense as well.

Wick had a team-high 7.5 tackles and picked off a pass from his defensive back spot helping Regina to a 21-20 win over Class 2A third-ranked Clear Lake.

Best of the rest: Clear Creek Amana senior defensive back Mason Stanfield picked off two passes and made 1.5 tackles in a 41-21 win over Muscatine.

West Branch senior linebacker Cael Fiderlein had a team-high 8.5 tackles and added an interception in a 20-7 loss to West Liberty.

West High senior linebacker Kalen Haworth had 9.5 tackles, including three solo stops and two tackles for loss in a 56-20 win over City High.

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